A person who depends on a wheelchair may face challenges when traveling and need assistance when moving from a wheelchair to a passenger seat in an aircraft, train or other vehicle. For example, in order to move from a wheelchair to a passenger seat in an aircraft, before boarding the aircraft, this person must first move from the wheelchair to a specially designed wheelchair that fits within the narrow aisle an aircraft. This transfer typically occurs in a waiting room, a departure lounge, a concourse, or on an aerobridge of an airport. After this person is moved into the specially designed wheelchair, he or she is transported onto the aircraft and into a passenger seat on the aircraft. This process requires two transfers. The first transfer is from the wheelchair to a specially designed wheelchair that fits within the aircraft's aisle. The second transfer is from the specially designed wheelchair to the passenger's seat. This multi-step transfer process often requires close physical contact with the passenger's thighs, knees and underarms, which may be an unpleasant and awkward experience for both the passenger and the person assisting the passenger, such as an airline employee. This process may also be physically onerous and injurious to the passenger being lifted or the person assisting the passenger, due to size or strength disparities between the two people. For example, an airline employee who repeatedly lifts heavy passengers from wheelchairs and into airline seats without mechanical assistance may risk injury.
According to one aspect, the present invention provides a lift apparatus for lifting and transferring a person from a wheelchair to a passenger seat in an aircraft efficiently, quickly, easily, and inexpensively. The apparatus allows a person assisting the passenger to lift the passenger into a passenger's seat on an aircraft while minimizing the extent of physical contact between these people.